Foster & Homeless Youth:

College Access & Career

Readiness

Carlyn Morones & Blair Nelson

Agenda

● Statistics
● School Counselor Responsibility
● Laws & Policies
● Planning & Preparation
● Resources
Statistics

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 400,000
Number of foster youth in the U.S.
Of those, 20,000 age out each year without family support
or connection

40%-50%
Percentage of foster youth who become homeless within
18 months of emancipation

50%
Percentage of the homeless population who has spent
time in foster care
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OC Homeless Children & Youth (2017-
2018)
⏷ Anaheim Elementary: 11%
⏷ Anaheim Union High School: 13.3%
⏷ Capistrano Unified: 6.6%
⏷ Irvine Unified: 0.4%
⏷ Magnolia School District: 30%
⏷ Newport Mesa Unified: 0.4%
⏷ Orange Unified: 1.2%
⏷ Tustin Unified: 1.4%
⏷ Westminster School District: 9.2%
Primary Nighttime Residency of OC
Homeless Youth
⏷ Shelters: 4.6%
⏷ Doubled- or Tripled-Up: 89.2%
⏷ Unsheltered: 1.3%
⏷ Hotel/Motel: 4.8%
School-Related Data
⏷ About 1 in 4 kids who age out of the foster care
system will not graduate from high school or will
not pass their GED

⏷ Despite all of these challenges, 70% of foster

children say they would like to attend college
one day

⏷ The CA Homeless Youth Project reports that 90%

of homeless youth interviewed aspired for a
career that requires more than a high school
 Our
Responsibility

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ASCA Position Statement: Supp
orting Students in Foster Care
& Experiencing Homelessness

● Students in foster
care/experiencing homelessness
represent two of the most
vulnerable student subgroups in
the U.S.
● We must be informed of the
proper policies and rights that
apply to our F/H students
 Social-Cognitive Theory

Observation & Thinking Interests & Values Performance in School College/Career Choices

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Laws & Policies

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What do you know about
McKinney Vento?

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Under McKinney Vento, a child qualifies
as homeless if he/she:
⏷ Lacks a regular, fixed, and adequate nighttime
residence
⏷ Is sharing housing due to economic or financial
struggles
⏷ Is living in a shelter, hotel, motel, trailer park, or
camping ground
⏷ Is living in a public space not designated for
sleeping (e.g. cars, parks, abandoned buildings,
bus/train stations)
⏷ Is awaiting foster care placement
Legal Implications: Secondary

⏷ Students who frequently switched high schools

may be eligible for reduced graduation
requirements (AB 167/216)
⏷ Each school district has a Foster Youth Liaison
(AB 490)
⏷ OCDE Contact: Jeanne Awrey
(jawrey@ocde.us)
AB 167/216 Eligibility
Criteria
1. Youth must be in foster care
2. Student must have transferred
high schools after their second
year of high school
3. They must complete all of the CA
graduation requirements
4. District must determine that the
student will be unable to complete
his/her local grad requirements in
4 years
5. The Ed. Rights holder must
determine that this is in the
youth’s best interest
Legal Implications: Post-Secondary
⏷ Foster youth may qualify for priority registration (AB
194, AB 801)
⏷ Contingent on completion of orientation, assessment,
and an educational plan
⏷ Colleges and universities can grant in-state residency to
foster youth under the age of 19 who were residing out of
state (AB 669)
⏷ UCs and CSUs are required to give foster youth priority
for on-campus housing (AB 1393)
⏷ F/H may remain in housing that is available during
academic breaks at no extra charge (AB 1228, AB 1393)
Planning & Prep

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Planning for College & Careers: MS & HS
⏷ Introduce and discuss A-G requirements
⏷ Encourage rigorous courses
⏷ Give students the opportunity to explore career
and college options
⏷ Talk about financial aid early
Additional MS & HS Programs:
⏷ AVID
⏷ Khan Academy
⏷ Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program
(District Liaison)
⏷ Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP)
⏷ MESA
⏷ The Puente Project
⏷ Upward Bound
Financial Aid: FAFSA/CADAA
Foster
Mark “yes” on the question
that asks if the student is
or was an “orphan or ward
of the court or foster
youth.”
This will help the student
qualify as an independent
student.
Put other/unknown for
Homeless
Mark “yes” on the
question that asks if the
student is/is at risk of
becoming homeless.
Provide a mailing
address where the
student can reliably
receive mail.
Financial Aid Continued
⏷ Apply online for the Chafee Grant
⏷ Up to $5,000 in grant funds for eligible foster youth
⏷ Must be under 26 y/o, enrolled ½ time in school, been
in foster care at least 1 day between ages 16-18
⏷ Have the student contact the Foster Youth Liaison at the
college/university of interest to find out if the student
qualifies for additional supports
⏷ EOPS: Extended Opportunity Programs & Services
⏷ Priority registration and housing
Community College
⏷ California College Promise Grant
⏷ Next UP
⏷ Fullerton College: Foster Youth Success Initiative (
FYSI)
⏷ California College EOPS
⏷ Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education
(CARE) and CalWorks
⏷ Disabled Student Programs & Services
⏷ Priority registration for foster youth
UC/CSU
⏷ Application fee waiver
⏷ Priority registration and priority housing
⏷ Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
⏷ Campus support programs for foster youth
⏷ CSU Fullerton: Guardian Scholars Program
⏷ CSU Resources and Supports
⏷ UC Resources and Supports
Resources

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General Resources for your F/H Students

⏷ Foster Care Transition Toolkit

⏷ Foster Youth Educational Planning Guide
⏷ Homeless Liaison Toolkit
⏷ Foster Club
⏷ Foster Care to Success: America’s College Fund fo
r Foster Youth
⏷ Secondary School Counselor College & Career Gui
de for Homeless Students
⏷ Teen Project: Find Shelter
⏷ Text “SHELTER” and zip code (e.g. SHELTER
92887) to 99000
Financial Aid Resources

⏷ California College Pathways

⏷ Community College and UC/CSU
⏷ Federal Pell Grant, Cal Grant, Chafee Grant
Program
⏷ FAFSA/Dream Act Applications
⏷ Financial Aid Guide for California Foster Youth
⏷ Cal Fresh
 Thank you!
Does anyone have any questions?

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